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Peter Cresswell is taking on the Thames Path Challenge – Ultra 2021, for MDS UK!
When is this event:
| Start: | 11/09/2021 | End: | 12/09/2021 |
We have just found out that Peter is taking on a 100 km walk in aid of MDS UK, because - in his words - we've "really helped a friend out".
The Thames Path Challenge - Ultra is not for the faint-hearted! Participants run, jog or walk all the way along the Thames Path from Putney to Henley in under 24 hours. Peter is making this incredible effort as part of his lose weight / gain fitness journey over Covid times, and has already lost an amazing 60 lbs as he prepares for this challenge.
This is what Peter has told us:-
My friend & former work colleague Emma has been given a lot of help by the MDS UK Patient Support Group over the past few years. The way she’s borne up and remained positive through many years of illness has been incredibly inspiring, going right back to when I covered her work during her first bone marrow transplant. Since then she’s been an incredible inspiration, blogging about her successes and setbacks, and she has put in a massive effort to stay fit and active.
More recently, during Covid 19, I made a fairly major lifestyle change as I’d managed to let my weight push over 27 stone / 173kg. Since lockdown 1 in March 2020 I’ve been eating healthily and putting in a lot of miles of walking and running, and have managed to lose over 9 1/2 stone / 60kg. As part of motivating myself for this effort I signed up to walk the 100km (62 mile) Thames Path Challenge in 1 day. I deliberately paid my own entry fee, always intending to choose a charity ahead of the event to fundraise for.
Recently Emma discovered that MDS UK still had several places going for the Great North Run, and posted on Facebook talking about how the charity have been incredibly supportive of her, and encouraging her friends to consider taking up places - and she’s even scheduled her chemotherapy schedule around running it herself! I’m not (yet) fit enough for a half marathon (I’m hoping to get there in 2022), and the GNR starts a few hours after I’m due to finish the Thames Path Challenge so I wasn’t able to take a spot. However, her words inspired me to look into MDS UK and the work they do, and ultimately choose them to fundraise for.
I’m really proud that I’ve been able to use my own transformation to give publicity to such a great small charity, and amazed that I’ve been able to inspire my friends to respond so positively and generously.
We are so grateful to Peter for making MDS UK his chosen charity because we have been able to offer support to Emma through her on-going treatment for MDS.
You can also make a significant difference to our small charity. MDS UK does not get London Marathon places – and relies on runners with ballot places. Please enter the ballot for next year and consider running for MDS UK.
All the money we get goes to assist patients and families with information, support and advice.
- An hour on the helpline to newly diagnosed patients makes such a difference in most situations.
- Our information meetings are the next step – to help patients cope with making more sense of the medical journey they are on.
- Our local meetings help with the ongoing emotional support that is often needed.
All of this requires time and funds. Please enter the ballot and run for us! Every single runner will be absolutely worshipped!
With your help – we can help.
Many thanks from the MDS UK Team
